The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalized changes to the 2023 ACO application cycle steps and timelines. After collectively submitting 50+ successful applications, Pinnacle is excited to continue interpreting the ever-changing ACO policy and execute future applications with the learned lessons and best practices gathered over the years. Here are some of the major highlights of the changes:

• The Notice of Intent to Apply (NOIA) has been eliminated. Typically, in the past applicants had to submit an NOIA around the first week of June. CMS eliminated this step and moved up Phase 1 of the application. ...

Our healthcare industry is undergoing a major transformation, with a focus on shifting from a fee-for-service model to a value-based model that prioritizes quality and outcomes over volume and cost. CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, stated “Through the CMS accountable care initiatives and working with our partners, we have made significant progress in addressing our greatest healthcare challenges.” Administration is looking to further the engagement and participation in various payment models by planning to release three to four new payment models, including more key stakeholders in healthcare. These models will be centered around advancing primary care, engaging specialists in ...

Introduction:

Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection and occurs when chemicals released in the bloodstream to fight the infection trigger inflammatory responses throughout the body. This inflammation can trigger a cascade of changes that damage multiple organ systems, causing them to fail. While the coding for sepsis can be particularly challenging, fortunately, we have the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting to use as a guide.

Chapter 1 of the ICD-10-CM guidelines provides incredibly detailed instruction on coding for sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock infections. The guidelines instruct to first assign the appropriate code for the underlying ...

As providers look for ways to document more efficiently, they are increasingly turning to technology-based shortcuts. Unfortunately, there are some pitfalls associated with relying on some electronic medical record (EMR) conveniences.  In this article, we will discuss a few EMR shortcuts that have the potential to wreak havoc on your documentation.

Drop down ICD-10-CM Codes

Many EMRs offer the option to select diagnoses with correlating ICD-10-CM codes from a drop-down menu in the assessment and plan portion of the note which can be problematic for multiple reasons. We have encountered audits where providers consistently coded ...

The Pinnacle Real Estate Group consists of a combination of professionals who use their extensive experience in both valuation and transaction services within the healthcare real estate industry to guide clients through multiple types of arrangements in a time-efficient and cost-effective manner.

This Newsletter covers recent activity and conditions specifically impacting the national healthcare real estate market and those who are learning how to succeed in it.  The Pinnacle Real Estate Group has compiled the following current market information from sources such as CoStar, CBRE, and HREI.

Healthcare Real Estate Transactions

$10.75 Million MOB acquired ...